New Lives

Chapter 2

It was becoming something of a ritual, five former Oto-Nin gathering to eat and hang out. Kidoumaru, Dosu, Sakon, Ukon and Tayuya sat around a table at the Ichiraki Ramen Stand, Making pleasant conversation.

"You #! filthy #! pig! Do you have to #! make that #! sound every time you eat!?"

Ukon looked at Tayuya innocently, "What, you mean this?" He made a low, vacuuming sound as he slurped down his ramen, "Why, does it bother you?"

"You're #! right it #! bothers me, you #! pig!"

Jirobou, once again, made a terrible mistake, "Tayuya, everyone's staring..."

"Yeah, they're #! staring at your big, fat #!, it #! takes up half the #! room!" She picked up her hot tea, ready to throw it in his face, then stopped. "Just... Just shut the #! up, or I'll #! hurt you..."

"Whooo, Tayuya's goin' soft, Tayuya's goin' soft!" Sakon and Ukon jeered, right before she punched them both.

Dosu leaned over to Kidoumaru, "Now, tell me again why we hang out with those three?" He whispered, so as not to draw Tayuya's attention/wrath.

Kidoumaru shrugged, "Beats me. Though I still think Jirobou is a masochist..."

Jirobou went back to the counter to order two more bowls of pork ramen and apologize for Tayuya's un-ladylike behavior. Fortunately for him, she didn't hear that.

"So, that was some performance in the exams."

"Thanks, Dosu. It wasn't easy."

Ukon snarled at Tayuya before turning to Kidoumaru, "Of course it was hard, you #! refused to kill those trash, and you saved some #! idiot from a rival team who'd gotten himself poisoned. That's no way to win..."

"Yeah," Sakon added, "You're getting soft, too."

Kidoumaru sent the Twins a cold stare, "If you want to see how soft I am, I'll be happy to show you. I can still kick your worthless butt... Or butts, which ever it is."

Jirobou looked up from his bowl, "So, Dosu, how's family life?"

Dosu didn't really know how to answer, oh, his life was wonderful now, but he knew that the others, except Kidoumaru, were still basically on their own. "Uhm, it's great. I'm helping out at the flower shop, and..."

Tayuya laughed, "Dosu the Fearsome #! Florist of Otogakure! Oh #!, if the #! others could #! see you now!"

Kidoumaru shot up suddenly, "Oh man! That reminds me! Deidara took out Kabuto and Pein!"

"Hot #!, now that's a reason to #! celebrate!"

Jirobou was stunned, "Kabuto...Dead? I didn't think that freak could die..."

"Well, he could, and he did. Deidara dropped a whole bunch of bombs on his head..."

"Yep, that'd do it." Ukon agreed, "Pity we didn't see it. I wish I could of seen his rat-face."

"So, Tayuya, how far have you got with Shikamaru yet?" Sakon grinned.

"A #! lady never tells."

"Yeah, but you're no #! lady." Ukon ducked to avoid the bowl of ramen Tayuya threw at him.

"Tayuya! That was my Ramen!" Jirobou could take any abuse from Tayuya on his person, he could even deal with being called fat, but no one touches Jirobou's food.

Tayuya shrank back, "I... Errr... Here, have mine!" She shoved her untouched bowl of ramen at Jirobou, who smiled and grabbed the bowl, "Thanks Tayuya!"

Tayuya turned to Kidoumaru, "Hey, Spider-#!, can we #! talk? Alone?"

Kidoumaru strolled over to a booth and sat down, followed closely by Tayuya, "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Tayuya fidgeted for a moment, "I... What kind of girl do you think Shikamaru would want?"

"He likes, and needs, a strong woman, someone to keep him from ending up sleeping in the gutter and spending all of his money on booze and gambling."

"I'm #! serious!"

"So am I. Shika, you know how he is, he's just like his father, he needs a strong woman to protect and take care of his lazy butt. Left on his own, he'd starve." Kidoumaru shook his head, "But you mean, what kind of woman he's attracted to, strong, bossy, attractive, well... you."

Tayuya smiled a bit, "But, how about my looks? Has he said anything?"

Kidoumaru leaned back thoughtfully, "He said you have nice hair and eyes, and that you should smile more. You know Shikamaru, if you ask him to describe Konoha to someone he'd just say, 'It's a village.' He hardly ever goes into detail, but he has told me he loves you, and I can see you make him happy. If you're worried about how you look, don't. He likes rough, strong women, not real 'feminine' chicks. So just be yourself, he likes you as you are."

Tayuya smiled beautifully, then caught herself, "Thanks. But if you #! tell the others about this #! talk, I'll rip your balls off and feed 'em to the #! fish."

Kidoumaru smiled, "Charming as always."

She stood up to go, then turned, "Thanks, I really mean it... You're not so bad, for a #! boy..."

To Be Continued . . .